Court archive
Court reports mentioning Rathdowney, Laois
2019-07-18 · Dublin
In 2017, Egyptian national Mohamed Okda, aged 33, was convicted of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a 2014 incident in Dublin. He received an 11‑year sentence with the final year suspended. The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction on 18 July 2019, ordering a retrial because the trial judge failed to instruct the jury on the presumption of innocence. Justice John Edwards noted that the omission was a fatal flaw rendering the trial unsatisfactory. Okda was remanded in custody pending the retrial. The victim, a married mother visiting Dublin with friends, was found drunk and lost, and after Okda offered help she was taken to his flat where the assault occurred. She fled the flat, was rescued by a taxi driver, and reported the incident to Gardaí. The case remains pending retrial. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.
2017-10-23 · Dublin
In a Dublin Central Criminal Court trial, Egyptian national Mohamed Okda, aged 31, was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a 2014 incident in a city centre flat. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after a seven‑day trial. Judge Michael Moriarty sentenced Okda to eleven years for each rape and five years for the assault, with all terms running concurrently and the final year suspended. The judge noted the difficulty of imprisonment for foreign nationals and acknowledged Okda's claim of threat while in custody. The victim, a married mother, described panic attacks, depression and a "broken" life in her impact statement, and the judge highlighted her ongoing struggle to rebuild her life with family support. Okda has 16 prior non‑sexual convictions in Ireland. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.
2017-10-09 · Dublin
In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, Egyptian national Mohamed Okda, aged 30, was found guilty of raping a woman he met in February 2014 after she became lost and upset during a night out in Dublin. The woman, a married mother, had been visiting Dublin with two female friends, became drunk and tired, and lost contact with them. Okda approached her, offered help, and after she returned to his flat, he raped her. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a seven‑day trial. Okda's defence, led by Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, requested an adjournment of the sentencing hearing to obtain a psychological report, citing concerns that two other men were present in the flat and had not been interviewed by Gardaí. The judge agreed to adjourn the sentencing to 23 October, and the victim was not present at the hearing. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.
2017-07-29 · Dublin
In a victim impact statement at the Central Criminal Court, a married mother described how she is now a "broken person" after being raped by Mohamed Okda in February 2014. She said she suffers from panic attacks and depression, feels her trust and belief in people have been shattered, and that she has lost friends and feels unable to talk about the night. Okda, 30, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after a seven‑day trial. The case will return to court on 9 October. The mother thanked her husband for support and said she is working to repair their relationship. Okda has 16 prior convictions in Ireland, none for sexual offences, and has been in custody since his conviction.
2017-07-07 · Dublin
In February 2014, Mohamed Okda, a 30‑year‑old Egyptian national, was convicted by a jury of raping a woman who had become lost during a night out in Dublin. The woman, who was drunk and disoriented, had been staying with friends and had lost contact with them. Okda approached her, offered help, and invited her to his flat. While she was unconscious, he allegedly forced sexual acts upon her, including rape. She later testified that he had taken her glasses and phone, coerced her into oral sex, and threatened her. After the incident, she fled the flat, was found by a taxi driver, and reported the assault to Gardaí. Okda was remanded into custody for sentencing on 28 July. The trial lasted seven days, and the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts within just under three hours. The court rejected a bail application, citing flight risk concerns. Mohamed Okda pleaded not guilty.